1. Physical Oceanography: Cross-Shelf Circulation Processes
1.1 Monitoring and quantifying the role of the EMS continental Margin Current (EMC) in along-shore and cross-shore material exchange and distribution.
1.2 Determine the modes of variability responsible for the cross-shore fluxes and for open water stratification and their controlling factors.
- Consistent periodic cross-shore transects with seagliders
- High-Frequency Radar (HFR) network
- Multi-scale array of velocity sensors
- Wave measurements
2. Biogeochemical cycles along the coast to open sea continuum
2.1 Characterize marine snow aggregates, their interplay with terrigenous inputs, and quantify their abundance and contribution to the biological pump.
2.2 Determine the sources (marine/terrestrial) of trace elements and DOC in the EMS and their relative lateral and vertical changes and biogeochemical cycles.
2.3 Quantify the surface and lateral fluxes of nutrients and trace metals between the coast and open sea.
2.4 Determine the vertical export fluxes of organic matter along coast to open sea transects.
- The contribution of marine snow aggregates to carbon export
- Trace elements and DOC source in the EMS and biogeochemical cycles
- Surface and lateral fluxes of nutrients and trace metals between the coast and open sea
- Primary and export production fluxes
3. Sediment-water Interface
3.1 Quantify biogeochemical cycles and the diffusive fluxes across the sediment-water boundary along the EMS land-to-sea continuum.
3.2 Determine the solute transport from coastal Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) and quantify the related elemental flux and contribution to the oceanic chemical mass balance.
3.3 Quantify the transport dynamics of particulate matter along submarine canyons, and their quantitative contribution to the carbon cycle.
- Diffusive sediment-water fluxes
- Coastal solute transport and mass balance of elemental contributions to oceans
- Sediment transport dynamics along submarine canyons and channels
4. Synthesis: Coupled Physical-Biogeochemical Model for the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
5. Outreach, education, dissemination
5.1 Outreach and education at the new Ashkelon Marine Science and Education Center (AMSEC).
5.2 Open online repository.
